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SAMR, developed by Ruben Puentedura, is one model for examining the evolution of tech integration in classrooms. It focuses on the type of work students are doing and how much that work deviates from traditional classroom practices. In a sense, it measures the future against the past. This four minute video is great if you would like to hear him explain it in his own words.

I like the SAMR model and I think it does what models are supposed to do, it get us talking and thinking about the work going on in our classrooms. This graphic shows the progression of a teacher's thinking with a bit of humor too.

As a model though, I think SAMR has some issues we need to talk and think about more. This is my list of concerns.

For further exploration:

It privileges the modification and redefinition stages such that good teaching without tech is marginalized. Even after five years of 1:1 I still have a few fabulous lessons that just work better on paper. They are worth keeping even if they do n…

Considering National Boards? I recommend the process, but you should know what you are getting into. Start early and get organized.

In the spring of 2016 I began pursuing National Board Certification for teaching. I know eventually someone will ask me for my thoughts and advice about that process, so I'll capture them now while the experience is fresh. Because I teach 9th grade, and previously taught middle school for ten years, I decided to do my NBCT in the area of Young Adolescent ELA. (Yes, I also taught 11th grade for six years, but that was a while ago.)

Though some do it in one year, I'm taking two years to complete my NBCT. Last summer, at a small local conference, I stumbled into a conversation about National Boards and happened to find out that my County Office of Education sponsored a support program. I was just in time to sign up. Through that program I got early advice and support to help me understand expectations and deadlines. The amazing staff at the County O…

It happens to all of us sometimes. Your perfectly planned lesson goes just a bit faster than you expected and you have a few minutes left at the end of class. Or maybe your students have been showing some excellent focus on their projects and you want to give them a few minutes of fun. My students have to put their laptops in a cart at the end of class and that takes a few minutes. For whatever reason it's good to have a few things you can pull up fast and engage students with for those last few minutes. These are some of my favorites. Share your's in the comments.

GeoGuesser:https://geoguessr.com/
This site drops you at a spot in the world and you have to guess where you are. It's good for a quick lesson in observing details. It's funny how often it seems like the picture seems to be from one place, but it really a whole different continent. I'll have one student come up to play, but the whole class loves to watch and make suggestions. Pro tip, teach them they can…

I like to share pictures from my classroom, but I am also very aware that I don't want to post pictures of student faces. These are my favorite apps for modifying photos from my classroom to obscure student faces before I post them.

Tangled FX($1.99)
With lots of options and customizations, TangledFX is my go to app for creating stylized versions of my classroom.

Percolator ($2.99) Beautiful circles create an abstract version of life in my classroom.

Bokeh Lens ($.99) Quickly mask off an area to remain sharp and then blur the rest. Intensify the blur strength until the student is not identified. This works best if what you are trying to show is in the foreground of the picture.

Prisma App (Free) Prisma lets you take your photographs and apply filters linked to famous paintings. There are new options all the time and they come out looking quite artsy. Some of the filters are not stylized enough to really conceal faces so you may need to try a few.

Most people reading this probably got here because the title of this post includes the phrase "Close Reading." Even more than Common Core, "close reading" is the phrase I hear most often in literacy instructional circles, but what does close reading mean and why are we all talking about it?

First of all, the phrase "close reading" is not actually in the CCSS. From my (admittedly inexpert) survey, I don't find it there. My grade level reading standards don't mention it in literature or informational text. The closest wording I found is in the anchor standards, which say,CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
From the idiomatic direction to "read closely," we have progressed to a pedagogical strategy of "Close Reading." I'm not suggesting student…